US EditionRussian lawmakers say 'security threat' WhatsApp should prepare to leave Russia
RUSSIA, JUL 18 – WhatsApp, used daily by 68% of Russians, may be replaced by state-backed MAX as Russia enforces software restrictions from 'unfriendly countries' to boost digital sovereignty.
- Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of Russia's parliament IT committee, said WhatsApp should prepare to exit the Russian market as restrictions increase.
- This follows a Kremlin directive issued this week ordering restrictions on software from 'unfriendly countries', including the US, with a September 1 compliance deadline.
- The government has already banned Facebook, Instagram, Viber, and Signal, and slowed YouTube traffic, while promoting MAX, a new state-backed super-app integrating messaging and government services.
- WhatsApp has over two million Russian users and is widely used, but officials view it as a national security risk and a legal violation, with Putin authorizing MAX's development last month.
- The likely removal of WhatsApp aligns with Russia's long-term digital sovereignty strategy and could boost MAX's market share, signaling further withdrawal of Western platforms.
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Since the beginning of the war of aggression on Ukraine, the Kremlin has been intensifying censorship in Russia. Communication via the free internet is increasingly restricted. Moscow is now targeting the social media platforms of Mark Zuckerberg's company Meta.
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vienna.atThe use of programs from "unfriendly countries" is to be further restricted, says the Kremlin.
Meta-owned WhatsApp could be banned in Russia. Here’s why
WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, a lawmaker who regulates the IT sector said on Friday, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms is very likely to be put on a list of restricted software. Russian President Vladimir Putin last month signed a law authorising the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Moscow strives to reduce its dependence on platforms like WhatsApp and…
For the global digital group Meta, it is a nuisance: a country wants to ban WhatsApp. Instead, a domestic messenger app is supposed to gain customers.
WhatsApp should prepare to leave Russia: Lawmaker
WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, a lawmaker who regulates the IT sector said on Friday, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms is very likely to be put on a list of restricted software.Read MoreThe post WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, influential lawmaker says first appeared on The Who Dat Daily.
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